IJE Advance Access originally published online on May 3, 2006
International Journal of Epidemiology 2006 35(3):689-690; doi:10.1093/ije/dyl090
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Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association © The Author 2006; all rights reserved.
Commentary |
Commentary: The epidemiology of neurodevelopmental disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa—moving forward to understand the health and psychosocial needs of children, families, and communities
1 Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal, 719 Umbilo Road, Durban, 4001, South Africa
2 Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 72 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
* Corresponding author. E-mail: lld1@columbia.edu
| The first 10% of the full text of this article appears below. |
Developmental disabilities have always been an important but largely yet to be addressed public health problem for children in developing countries.1,2 Until recently, premature birth, vaccine preventable childhood illnesses, bacterial and acute viral infections, parasitic infestations, toxic exposures, nutritional deficiencies, and injuries have accounted for the vast majority of infant and childhood mortality; childhood disability was barely ever measured. Addressing neurodevelopmental disabilities has become increasingly important with the decrease in infant mortality seen in recent decades. Disability in children can lead to lower health status and also increase the risk of death resulting from a range of potential mechanisms;